#UrbanAquaculture #IndoorFarming #BackyardFarming #WorkAtHomeBusiness

WEBINAR
LSA-2022-08-170
ALB-22-011 Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA)

Resource Speaker:

ALVIN P. BANDOLA
( Aquaculture Specialist/ Consultant)
✓ Guides and consideration before investing Vertical Crab Farming System.
✓ Basic Vertical Crab Box System Design and its function.
✓ Water Quality Parameters, tools & equipment needed.
✓ Stocking, Disinfections, post handling, & Harvesting technique.
✓ Feeds and Feeding Management.
✓ Operational Procedure, and Maintenance.
✓ Crab Sizing , Crab Coding, Price list, & Quality Checking
✓ Marketability, Supply Chain & Distribution
✓ Cost & Expenses, ROI, Payback period
 19 years of experience in Aquaculture
industry from working here and abroad.

❖ Graduated BS Fisheries: Maj. in Aquaculture, Bicol University

❖ Aquaculture Technician, NAQUA Seafoods, Saudi Arabia
(2005-2010)
❖ HR Recruitment Specialist for Aquaculture Operations at
NAQUA Seafoods (2010-2015)
Officer
❖ Senior Aquaculture Specialist (2015 - 2017)
❖ Farm Owner/Operator (2017 – to present)
https://www.naqua.com.sa/en/home
YES!! ( but not economically Feasible!)
 Different Crab Farming Method in
a Vertical Crab Boxes
F From Payat Crabs/
A To Fattened/ Full Meat Crabs PRICE
T Thin Crabs
T
E After
N average 30 1,000- 1,800 Php/kg
I days culture
N
G 250- 400 Php/kg

G
R From Cablets/ After average 1 kilo Size crabs
O matchbox size 9-10 months
W culture
O 1,000 – 1,800 Php/kg
U
T 250 Php/kg

S
O From Small
To Softshelled Crabs
F Size Crabs After
T
S average 30 800 – 1,200 Php/kg
H days
E
L 300 Php/kg
 VERTICAL CRAB FARMING is widely use for CRAB FATTENING PRODUCTION!

From ‘Payat’ Thin Crabs ( 1 kg) To Fattened/ Full Meat Crabs ( 1.5 kg)

After
average 30
days period

250-400 php/kg
1,000 – 1,800 php/kg

✓ Price of Fattened Crabs/Full Meat is 3-4x higher

than the thin ‘payat’ crabs in the market!.
Ctto
Mechanical &
Biological Filter
Chemical Filter
Diagram of Vertical Crab Farming System using RAS

Water flow

Sump Tank Mechanical & Chemical Filtration Biological Filtration

Sample Design of Flow-through System/ Non-RAS

Non RAS- Located at P3 Baybay Tiwi, Albay

 Basic Diagram of Flow
Through System / Non-RAS

Submersible Pump

Mechanical Filters
Mechanical &
Crab Boxes Chemical Filter
Brackish water storage Brackishwater from Sea
Tank or Fishpond
 Photo:CTTO

Photo:CTTO
(LOCAL)

8
Crab Boxes Assembly
Left Side
Right Side
HOW TO MAKE ARTIFICIAL BRACKISHWATER?

Artificial
Artificial Sea water
Brackish water
bulik

Note: Different Species and Gender have different Price in Market

 200 grams

Note: Avoid buying Payat/Thin Crabs for fattening during Rainy Days
 Feed & Feeding Management
Crab is an Omnivorous Animal, (they can eat both plants & Animals) They eat
algae, worms, macroplanktons, fish, crustaceans , and decomposed organism

Consideration in Feeding…
✓ Nutritional Value
➢ Choose the feeds that are higher in protein content

✓ Feeding Rate
➢ Feeding ratio of 3-5% of the body weight of crabs is ideal for crab fattening

• Example: body weight of crabs is 1,000 grams

Feeding rate is 50 grams/day!
✓ Feeding Frequency/Percentage
➢ Twice a day feeding is ideal
• Example: if 50 grams/day
Morning Feeding - 25% or 12.5 g
Night Feeding -75% or 37.5 g

✓ Alternate types of Feeding

➢ Try to feed the crabs with a different types
• Such as trash fish, animal meat, kuhol meat, tahong, chicken intestine,
boiled corn, commercial feeds, DIY formulated feeds
Salinity for Crab Fattening is 15-25ppt
4
10 Water Quality Parameter Test to Consider
in RAS
S
Salinity ( 15-25ppt ) Ammonia (0.0ppm – 0.2 ppm) Nitrites (0.0 – 0.2 ppm)

S
Alkalinity ( 360 - 400 ppm)
Nitrates ( below 30 ppm)

Calcium Test (460-530 ppm) Dissolved Oxygen ( 4 + ppm)

Magnesium Test ( 800-1200 ppm) pH ( 7.6-8.5 )

Ctto

✓ Water quality monitoring

Temperature (25-30 degree C) should be done twice a day
or case to case basis!
Water Quality Parameters Tools and Test Kits

Water Thermometer
7.

It takes 2-6 months to formed & stabilize the beneficial bacterial in the media
CTTO: Photo
15-25 ppt ( grams/liter)
 DAILY ROUTINE ACTIVITIES IN VERTICAL CRAB FACILITIES for RAS
9-10PM- removing
uneaten feeds & fecal
waste in the box
9-10 AM –
removing
uneaten feeds,
cleaning
the box

5-6AM – removing fecal

waste in the box, and
Morning Feeding

5-6PM – removing fecal waste in

Water Parameter Monitoring - AM/PM box, and Night time feeding
Harvesting - AM/PM
Stocking – AM/PM
 DAILY ROUTINE ACTIVITIES IN VERTICAL CRAB FACILITIES for Non-RAS
9-10PM- removing
uneaten feeds & fecal
waste in the box
9-10 AM –
removing
uneaten feeds,
and removing
fecal waste

5-6AM – cleaning the

box, drain the old water
& refill ; apply Morning
Feeding

5-6PM – clean the box, drain the

Water Parameter Monitoring - AM/PM old water & refill, Apply Night
Harvesting - AM/PM
Feeding
Stocking – AM/PM
 WATER PARAMETERS SCHEDULE
Salinity and pH Twice a day
Temperature/Dissolved Oxygen Twice a day
Alkalinity (Magnesium/Calcium Level) Once a day
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrates Twice a day/when high pH/when there
is suspected weak crabs

Once a year
1. Poor Water Quality Parameters in RAS System
Poor water quality may result to Stress, poor eating habit, low immune
system resulting to Mortality

2. Bacterial and Parasitic Infection in Crab Boxes and Pipelines

Presence of bad bacteria and parasite attached in the box floor, and
inside the pipelines may cause spread of diseases resulting of mortality
day by day

3. Exposure to Environmental Factors

Exposure to strong Wind
Exposure to Smoke
Exposure to excessive lights
4. Poor Handling of Crabs
Mishandling crabs during sizing, sorting sampling and tying of
crabs during harvesting , is an additional factors for Stress of
crabs leading to mortality
ctto
Factors affecting Growth
✓ Selecting the initial quality of ‘Thin’ crabs to be use for stocking.
Buying Slightly thin crabs is better than Very thin (newly molt).

✓ Feed the crabs with high in Plants/Animal Based Protein

✓ Proper feeding ratio/ frequency

✓ Good water quality Management ( Temp, ammonia level, pH,

Salinity, water level)

1.05
x 1.1 to–1.5
1.5from
grams
from
 MARKET CODES
QUALITY ( Scylla serrata Sp.) WEIGHT GENDER DESCRIPTION Price/kg

OS6+ 600 grams pataas Babae Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa; may orange na aligue 1,200
OS5 500- 599 grams Babae Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa; may orange na aligue 1,100
OS4 400- 499 grams Babae Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa; may orange na aligue 1,050
OS3 300- 399 grams Babae Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa; may orange na aligue 1,000
BBR 300 grams & up Babae Kalahati palang ang taba at 'yellow' ang Aligue 850
M1 1 kilo pataas lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 1,100
M9 900- 999 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 1,050
Export Quality
M8 800- 899 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 1,000
M7 700- 799 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 850
M6 600- 699 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 700
M5 500- 599 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 600
M4 400- 499 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 550
M3 300- 399 grams lalaki Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa 500
BK 200-400 grams Bakla Matataba at Kumpleto sipit/ paa; may aligue 850
Med/Rej 200 grams - 1 kilo pataas All Hindi gaanong mataba; or mataba ngunit putol ang sipit, or mga paa 480
Small 101 grams - 199 grams All Mixed matataba at hindi gaanong matataba 450
Local Quality
Payat 200 grams - 1 kilo pataas All Payat, water crabs 300-400
matchbox size to 100
Crablets grams All Crablets/Singelan 18php/pc
Price update : Nov 15,2023- Calauag Price
Source: Calauag Price 2016-2023
 Local
Hotel & Restaurant
Sell

Buy

Middleman

International
Hotel & Restaurant
Salt 3 kgs
Per Month
(1 yr.)

(1 year)
Php 175
Payat = 350 pesos/kg
10th cycle
11th cycle

12th cycle

13th cycle
14th cycle
HOW TO SPEED UP
PAYBACK PERIOD & ROI ???
1. Choose the bigger size of Crabs for fattening as much as possible.
“The biggest the Size, the higher the Price! ”

2. Observe Best timing on Selling Crabs (know the Pick Season & Lean Season)

3. Good Water Quality Parameters and Feeding Management

4. Proper Tools & Equipment

5. Proper Handling Technique of Crabs

6. Observe Biosecurity Practices (to minimize the entry of diseases/infection)